


I Will Wait

by galacticflower



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Don't worry its nothing too bad, Galra Empire, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Slow Burn, like really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-03 07:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13336650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticflower/pseuds/galacticflower
Summary: Keith's childhood was full of lies and forgotten memories. But when his father goes missing and the Garrison puts him in the foster home system to cover up the truth of Keith's past, Keith finds the people who give him a new future.





	1. Return of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> See notes at the end.

Keith had never been one for talking.

His dad knew that, and didn’t push it. He didn’t force him to speak, he didn’t try to prod him into anything. Drew Kogane found other ways to bond with his son.

He quickly learned that Keith was quite the artist. So they’d sit together on the floor, a box of crayons splayed all over the ground, drawing whatever came to mind. For Keith, that was usually knives. Drew watched in fearful wonder as the five year-old boy drew a heart with two knives plunged into it, blood gushing almost comically out of the wounds. Keith held up his picture, awaiting his father’s approval. Drew, of course, never let his fear show and gave Keith a pat on the back, complimenting his art.

Keith also loved to run. And man, could that kid run fast. Drew, after informing Keith of the dangers of exercising without properly stretching first, was left behind in the dust as Keith surged forward. Keith ran like he had been born for it, like his whole life was just running, always running. 

Drew didn’t want to know what that meant for his son’s future.

So everyday, Drew and Keith followed the same schedule. Homeschooling, drawing, running. Drew tried to tell himself that was all a young boy needed. He knew that was a lie, though.

They didn’t have a TV in their small house in the Arizona desert. They were pretty much isolated from society, except for the Galaxy Garrison, a huge military space research facility and academy. Drew figured you couldn’t get much safer than being less than a mile away from one of the country’s most protected buildings.

So, because Keith never saw anyone other than the delivery man and didn’t have access to any media, he never knew that mothers existed. 

Once, when Keith was feeling more talkative and curious than usual, he asked his father how babies were made.

Drew laughed. “Well, you know how a nice man delivers our food to us once a week?”

Keith nodded.

Drew continued. “It’s just like that. I ordered one Keith, and then the next day, you were there on the doorstep, the delivery man asking me to sign the order form.”

Keith nodded once more, pursing his lips as he took in this new information. Drew gave a quiet chuckle before ruffling his son’s hair. 

“And now you know how babies are made. Want to draw?”

 

…

 

The next day, it seemed like Keith’s curious streak had continued.

“Dad, where does the delivery man live?”

Drew stopped in his steps. “Uh, why do you want to know, kiddo?”

Keith shrugged. “I don’t see any houses nearby where he could live.”

Sighing, Drew ran his fingers through his head. How did he explain this to Keith? 

“Oh geez, ok, ok, uh…” Drew puffed out, his mind stalling.

“Dad, are you alright?” Keith asked quietly, tilting his head to the side.

“Yes son, I’m fine. I just… look, the delivery man does have a house. It’s just a little bit farther away, far enough that you can’t see it.”

Keith frowned. “Why does he live far away?”

“Whoa, what is this, an interrogation? Come on, let’s go finish some of that schoolwork,” Drew smiled nervously. He watched as Keith’s eyes narrowed at the lack of an answer. That kid’s too smart, he thought quietly to himself.

 

…

 

The questions didn’t stop there. Everyday, Keith asked a question, usually one Drew couldn’t truthfully answer. And while he was delighted that Keith was coming out of his shell and talking more, he hated lying to him. But he had to. Keith was too young for the truth.

It was until one day that Drew felt seriously worried. 

“Dad, I… don’t know how to explain how I’m feeling.”

By now, Keith was seven. Drew figured he was probably feeling tired with his usual routine of school, draw, run.

“That’s ok kiddo, I have a hard time explaining how I feel sometimes too. Would you like to maybe do something different today?”

Keith made an unsatisfied face. “No, it’s not that. I feel… incomplete.”

“Oh, uh, do you know why that is?”

Keith fiddled with his hair. Drew just now noticed how long and shaggy it was. Man, that kid needed a haircut. He didn’t know if he had ever given Keith a haircut before.

“I feel like I’m missing something, or someone.”

Drew felt his blood turned to ice. His head started to throb. His mouth suddenly lost all its moisture. 

He must have been staring at Keith for a while, because his son’s usually stoic face started to crumple.

“D-Dad, did I- did I say something wrong?”

Drew snapped out of his daze, and reached out for his son. 

“No, no, of course not Keith, you didn’t say anything wrong. God, I wish I could answer all of your questions, but I just can’t. Keith, I need you to understand that.

“I don’t understand Dad, why do I feel like I’m missing a piece of me? I don’t understand why I feel so funny at night when I look at the sky, why I feel like it’s calling me.”

Drew took in a shaky breath, and gave his son a hug. “I’m so sorry Keith, I can’t tell you these things. There are dangers out there, dangers that want to hurt you, that want to hurt me. Keith, I wish I could give you a normal life, I wish that with all of my heart. I love you Keith, never forget that, ok? No matter what happens, never forget that.”

Keith had begun to cry. Drew was crying too. They stayed locked in that hug for awhile. 

 

…

 

That night, after Drew had tucked Keith into bed and kissed him on the forehead, he went outside. The stars seemed to shine brighter tonight. Drew wondered what that meant. 

"What do you want me to do, Hanyra?" 

Suddenly, a scream came from the house. Drew whipped his gaze from the stars to the house, panic filling his body. He ran as fast as he could to Keith. 

Slamming open the door to his son’s bedroom, he saw Keith floating in the air, like a scene out of a magic show. He watched in horror as his son cried out in agony, thrashing against the air. Keith eyes were shut tight as he flailed around, almost like he was controlled by an unknown force. 

“Dad, what’s happening!?!” Keith shrieked, pain evident in his voice. 

Drew desperately turned to look out the window. A star was falling towards Earth.

“Your mother will be here soon.” The words felt heavy on his tongue, almost foreign, like they weren’t his own.

The star crashed into the desert.

 

…

 

Drew ran out of the house to the crash, hating that he had to leave Keith. He knew that the quicker he got to Hanyra, the quicker Keith would go back to normal. He covered his nose with one hand and tried to ward off the smoke and dust with the other, eyes squinted. He made out the shape of a hunched figure in the rubble. 

“Hanyra? Is-is that you?” 

The figure limped to get closer to Drew. Drew watched as their face came into view. 

Bloody and dirty from the crash, the face of Keith’s mother looked up at him. Hanyra.

“Drew… there’s not much time. They’re coming.” Hanyra’s voice was strangled, and she coughed violently.

“Are they coming for Keith? You said we’d be safe here in the desert, you said we’d be safe next to the Garrison, why are they coming?!” Anger rose in Drew, his voice wavering from emotion. What did he have to do make sure his son was safe?

“Please don’t get mad, I thought he’d be safe here, I really did. But they’re crazy, you know how big a deal honor is to the Galra. A half-Galra, on Earth, running loose? It’s like we spat in their faces.” Hanyra was crying now.

“I just want him to be safe, to be normal,” Drew paused, before speaking in a deeper voice. “When did you say his… Galra side would activate?”

Hanyra’s eyes dropped to the ground, ashamed. “I don’t know. It could be tomorrow, it could be never. Halfings are so rare, and so frowned upon by the Empire, I don’t know much about them. He might just stay completely human. But if he does turn Galra, I can’t imagine any good coming from it. You need to keep away from the rest of the humans, Drew. I know it’s lonely for you and Keith, but it’s the only way to keep everyone safe.”

Drew pinched his nose. “He’s getting so curious, I can’t keep lying to him much longer. What might trigger his Galra side?”

“Other Galras might.”

Drew’s eyes widened. “You’re the one causing his floating and screaming, not the others. Hanyra, Keith’s in pain right now, I-”

Hanyra immediately bolted to the house. “He’s in pain? I need to help him, I need to see him!”

As she ran forward, Keith screamed again. Hanyra froze. “Am I… hurting him?” she whispered with horror, tears running down her face. “I see now, I know what needs to be done.” She turned to Drew, sadness evident in her eyes.

“Drew, you and I need to get away from him. Now. I fear that me being here is activating Keith’s Galra side, and you being here is letting the Empire track him. You remember how they scanned your DNA.”

“I can’t just leave my son, he needs me! No one in my family knows about him, he doesn’t have anyone else to watch over him!”

Hanyra put her hand on his shoulder. “I know, but we are both putting him in danger. I’m sorry, but he’s safest if we turn ourselves into the Empire.”

Drew paused to think, and nodded solemnly, closing his eyes. “You’re right.”

Hanyra stared at him. “You know what turning ourselves in means, right? You will never see Earth again, we will be publicly executed, or worse, tortured.”

Drew just nodded again. “Just… let me say goodbye. Let me tell him to run to the Galaxy Garrison and never look back.”

 

…

 

Keith sprinted to the Garrison, tears forming in his eyes. He remembered how the pain had stopped, how he had seen his father walk up the front steps. 

“Keith, you need to get away from here. Go to the Garrison and tell them I was killed by a malfunctioning space cruiser. Keith, don’t tell them anything else. Don’t speak to strangers. Oh god, I love you so much Keith. Someday, you’re gonna find someone as special as to you as your mother is to me, and I’m not going to be able to meet them. Keith, I love you, I love you…”

And that’s where his memory had started to fade. It seemed to disappear with every stride he took. The Garrison loomed over him as he rapidly approached it. It seemed ominous, scary, not safe at all. 

A couple of patrol officers spotted him. “We heard a crash come from near your house, is everything ok, kid?”

“Dad was killed by a malfunctioning space cruiser,” Keith tried to repeat as calmly as he could. 

The officers shot each other a worried look. “Let’s get you inside.”

 

…

 

The inside of the Garrison was even more intimidating than the outside. The officers stood on both sides of him, grabbing his arms. Keith felt trapped. 

They led him to an empty conference room, in a far corner of the building. “Wait here kid,” said one of the officers. He turned to his partner. “Stay here with him, will ya? Last thing we need is him spilling all of this to a student.”

The other officer gave a curt nod and waited for the first officer to leave. Once he had, he turned to Keith. “Listen, uh, what’s your name?”

Keith didn’t answer. His father said don’t tell the Garrison anything else.

The officer sighed. “I don’t blame you for not talking. I sure as hell wouldn’t. Anyways, listen, my name’s Dengall. I’m sorry about your dad.” Dengall glanced at Keith, and shock came over his face. “Man, you sure are young. Don’t know how I didn’t notice before. How old are you?”

Silence.

Dengall gave himself a light smack on the forehead. “Oh right, stupid me, you don’t want talk. That’s fine, really. But kid, I can’t talk to you too much. I just want you to know that everything’s gonna be alright. Garrison’s gonna cover this little incident up just fine.” Dengall froze, face paling at what he said. “Not-not that there is an incident or anything! Just an unexpected malfunctioning and a terrible tragedy, that’s all!” 

Keith gave him a suspicious look. Dengall sighed.

“Alright, alright, you caught me. The Galaxy Garrison knows all about you, your dad, your mom, the Galra…”

And that’s when Keith passed out.


	2. Forgotten Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright Chapter 2! This one's really more to clear up any confusion, but it does have some important plot developments!

“Hey kid, can you hear me? Oh geez, I’ve overwhelmed the little guy.”

Those were the first words Keith heard as he opened his eyes. His head was throbbing, and his eyesight was invaded by floating black spots. He groaned, rubbing his eyes. He looked around to check his surroundings, something his dad always told him to do whenever he felt overwhelmed or confused. He was in the same conference room as before, and Dengall was looking at him with a relieved smile on his face.

“Oh, thank god you’re ok, you scared me there.”

Keith opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, remembering his father’s words to stay quiet.

Dengall grinned. “Almost broke your vow of silence there, kid. So, here’s what’s gonna happen. You’re gonna forget anything you think you heard me say before you fainted, ok? And if anyone asks, you didn’t faint, you just took a power nap. Do you understand? Both you and me can get in serious trouble if you don’t follow those rules,” Dengall said grimly, his previous lighthearted tone gone. 

Keith could barely remember what they had been talking about before, except for a word he had never heard before.

Mom.

His mom. He didn’t know what a mom was, exactly, but there was something familiar about the word. He wanted to ask Dengall about it. He didn’t. Instead, he gave Dengall a short nod, his way of promising not to tell anyone about the events in the conference room. 

 

The door to the conference room opened. A tall, middle-aged woman stepped in. Her hair had grey and white streaks in it, accenting the grayish blue of her eyes. She smiled at Keith.

Although Keith had never seen a woman in real life before, he could identify her as one. His homeschooling had helped him, he could identify most of the new things he had seen so far in the Garrison. His father used to draw all sorts of things for him, or show him pictures. Once, he showed a picture of a random woman standing next to him. Drew and the woman had an arm slung around each other’s shoulders, goofy grins on their faces

“Who’s that?” Keith had asked, pointing at the lady.

Drew smiled, a far-off look clouding his eyes. “That’s my sister, she was very special to me.”

“Where is she?”

Drew’s smile turned into a frown. “Pretty far away, Keith.” He quickly shook his head and smiled once more. “Hey, I challenge you to a race! I bet I’m gonna win this time!” 

He wondered if this lady was like his dad’s sister.

Keith drew himself back to the moment. The older lady was telling him something.

“-really can’t begin to apologize about your father, I have no idea how hard this must be for you, Keith.”

Keith wondered how she knew his name. 

The woman looked at him. “I promise you, your father will be given the most beautiful funeral we can offer, right here under the desert sky. It’s what he wants- er, would have wanted. Isn’t that right?”

Keith wondered why they were talking like his father was dead. His father was probably back at home, making him a warm cup of tea to help him fall asleep. Keith should probably get back to him now. He should get far away from weird ladies who make no sense.

As Keith tried to leave, a hand clamped down on his shoulder. 

“Hey now, where are you going, Keith?”

Keith looked at her and yanked his shoulder from her grip. He walked towards the door.

The woman narrowed her eyes, and motioned to the officers. They picked Keith up before he could reach the door, ignoring his surprised grunt and desperate thrashing. They sat him down in a chair in front of the woman.

“Look, Keith, I know this a difficult time for you, but there’s nowhere for you to go. Your father is dead, your mother died in childbirth, and we have no records of any living relatives. We want to help you. I want to help you. Will you let me help you?” The woman spoke somberly, but a fire in her eyes suggested annoyance. Anger.

True to his word, Keith didn’t speak. Instead, he did what his father told him to do if a stranger was making him uncomfortable. He screamed at the top of his lungs. He bolted to the door.

“Get him!” 

Again, he was lifted off the ground by Dengall and the other officer. He tried to bite them, hit them, anything to be freed from their grasp, but nothing worked. Again he was sat down in the chair. Only this time, the officers stood a little closer.

“Keith, please, we have students sleeping here, do be a bit more quiet. Now, I assure you, we will find you a new family. In fact, arrangements are being made right now! Why, I’d say your new parents will be ready for you by tomorrow!”

Finally, Keith could not keep his silence anymore. “I don’t need new parents, I have my dad. He’s waiting for me back home, I need to leave now.”

The woman gave him a pitying look. “The trauma has obviously warped your memory. Your father is dead, Keith, he isn’t at your house waiting for you.”

Keith growled. “You’re a liar!” He lunged for her. Dengall grabbed his torso before he could reach the woman.

She sighed. “Dengall, take him to the infirmary, will you? He’s obviously unstable right now. Officer Haldings, stay here. I need to speak with you.”

Dengall saluted. “Yes, President Falnrow.” He carried Keith away.

President Falnrow turned to Haldings after Keith was out of hearing distance. “See to it that he’s gone by tomorrow. And contact the Galra, we need to have a discussion on the events that have come to light. Our… agreement never went over this.”

Haldings nodded. “ Ma’am, permission to speak freely?”

“Permission granted.”

“… Who was she? That boy’s mother?”

Falnrow scowled. “Alien scum. The Galra tried to track her after she came here, to Earth. They threatened to blow the whole planet up if she was not returned. The man, the boy’s father, tried to ask us for protection. For all of them, including their newborn son. I granted it. But the Galra, their threats were serious. I gave them the alien, they let us keep the man. We didn’t tell them about the boy.”

Haldings gulped. “You… you promised the alien woman shelter and betrayed her?”

“Are you suggesting I let them blow up the whole Earth just so I could have kept my word to one alien I didn’t even know?” Falnrow’s eyes were wide with anger and disbelief.

“N-no, I just think there could have been a better way, we could have…”

Falnrow slapped her hand down on the table. “You are out of line, sir. We made the best arrangement we could. Remember, these are irrational, bloodthirsty aliens we are talking about here. We don’t let news of the Galra spread, and in exchange the Galra don’t put an end to the human race. Understand?”

“But why did the Galra want the alien woman so bad?!”

“She left their planet for a human. She cost them their honor. Now leave, this discussion is over.” Falnrow’s word dripped venom. Haldings left hurriedly.

 

…

 

Keith fought against Dengall firm grasp, kicking his feet as hard as he could. “Put me down!”

Dengall sighed sadly. “Sorry, kid, it’s better for both of us this way. It’ll be nice, to forget. You can be a normal kid after this!”

Keith just screamed as he was carried into a hospital like room. A man in a white coat walked up to him and took him from Dengall.

“Careful doc, he’s a little feisty there,” Dengall chuckled nervously. The man said nothing.

Keith screamed louder as he was strapped to a bed in the corner of the room, watching in terror as the doctor went to fetch a needle. He walked over to Keith. 

“Relax boy, after a quick shot of this, you’ll have no memory of any of this. This is for the better. You’ll see,” the doctor said gruffly, before pushing up Keith’s sleeve and wiping his arm. Keith jerked against the restraints, willing them to come loose, but to no avail. The doctor quickly injected the needle into his arm. 

Almost instantly, Keith’s eyes began to shut. He tried to fight off the medicine, but gave in. He went limp. Dengall’s eyes widened. 

“Wh-Whoa, is, is that normal?! Is he supposed to go all limp like that?”

The doctor threw the needle away. “He’s fine. I suggest you return to your patrol, officer.”

Dengall shifted on his feet, before nodding and leaving the room.

The doctor turned back to Keith, took the restraints off, and wheeled him into a different room, somewhere Keith had never seen before. Best avoid the risk of him recognizing his surroundings when he woke up.

 

…

 

A hand started shaking Keith, making his pleasant dreams fade away. Keith groaned, rubbing his eyes as the hand persisted. “Come on, sleepyhead, we got a big day ahead of us!”

Keith blinked a couple of times at the face, not recognizing it as his father. “Who are you?”

“You don’t remember me, huh? Well, I’m Dengall. What do you remember from last night? I was told the trauma might make you forget somethings.”

Keith squinted in concentration as he sat up. He remembered being tucked into his bed by his father at home, and something else happened, he was sure of it… but nothing came to mind after that. 

Dengall sighed sadly at him. “I guess you really don’t remember, huh?” A flash of guilt crossed his face, but he continued, looking away from Keith. “Your…father, he died last night. I’m so sorry, kid. There was a flight malfunction, and… he died.”

Silence. Dengall looked back at Keith, concern etched into his face. Tears were falling quickly from Keith’s eyes, but his face was frozen in shock. His mouth was wavering, as if he was holding back a wail. 

“Oh no, kid, come here,” Dengall tried reaching out to the seven-year old, but Keith swatted his arms away. Dengall recoiled.

“It’s going to be ok, you’ll see! You’ll have a new family! Your dad wouldn’t want you to cry, he’d want you to be happy. Why don't you go use the restroom to freshen up, how does that sound?” Dengall said, false cheeriness plastered on his face.

Keith nodded numbly, and walked over to the bathroom shakily, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as Keith closed the door, Falnrow walked into the room. “Did he remember anything from last night?” she asked Dengall.

“Nothing at all.”

“Good. New living arrangements for him have been organized. The faster we get him away from here, the slimmer the chance his memory will return. Move out, officer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Next chapter should get a little more interesting... you'll see ;)


	3. Abandoned Homes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important notes at the end!! Please make sure to read, I am changing warnings on this piece, nothing too serious.

Keith felt like his heart had frozen over. His father was dead. His father was dead. His father was dead.

No, no, he wasn’t dead. How could he be dead? They were together yesterday, they were happy yesterday. Keith had drawn a picture of him, his dad promised to cherish it forever. Forever couldn’t happen if he was dead. 

…So that was it. His dad wasn’t dead. It was simple, really. HIs father wasn’t dead, but for some reason Keith wasn’t with him. For some reason, Keith wasn’t home.

The logical thing to do would be wait for his father to find him. That’s what he always said, stay out of trouble and wait for someone to find you if you get lost. Keith drew in a breath as he looked into the bathroom mirror, wiped away his tears, and opened the door to the bedroom he had woken up in. 

He expected to see Dengall there, but instead was greeted by a gray-haired lady. She looked vaguely familiar… but Keith had never seen her before, had he?

When she noticed him, she smiled just a little too wide for Keith to feel comfortable with. “Why, hello Keith! Has Dengall informed of the plan for today?”

Keith crossed his arms. “Who are you?”

A flash of confusion graced the woman’s face, but it was quickly concealed. “Oh, right, silly me, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Margaret Falnrow, president of this fine institution. You may call me President Falnrow.”

Keith nodded, face blank. Falnrow gave a nervous chuckle.

“So, um, today! We have already found a wonderful foster family for you, and they are just dying to meet you. I promised them we’d meet for lunch, and after that you can go home with them! They even said they’d take you shopping, seeing how you don’t really have any belongings… um, won’t that be fun?” Falnrow chirped.

“Will my dad be able to find me if I eat lunch with them?”

Falnrow’s smile wavered. “Keith, I, um, you do know your father’s… dead, right?”

Keith gave an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes. “No, he isn’t, you’re confused. And you didn’t answer my question. Will he be able to find me?”

“…Let’s just get you ready for lunch, okay?”

 

…

 

Keith looked out the window in awe as the desert dunes blurred past them in the car. It was his first car ride, he had only seen the delivery man’s car before. Watching a car drive was much different than being in one.

President Falnrow drove on without a word. The silence hung heavy in the air, but Keith didn’t care. She never answered his question before, therefore she didn’t deserve to be talked to.

Confusion seeped in as he saw the desert end, and a multitude of buildings and houses appear. Keith felt overwhelmed. How were there so many homes in one place?

“What’s that?” he asked, his curiosity breaking his silence, brows furrowed at the sight.

“That is the nearest town, Keith. It’s a place with houses just like yours, places to buy new things and get something to eat, and many different people,” Falnrow explained slowly, as if she had been preparing the speech.

Keith thought he remembered his father telling him about stores, places where you could buy nearly everything, and restaurants, places where they prepared your food for you. He never really thought about it too much before, he had everything he needed delivered to him. But now, he was somewhere where you had to go out and get what you wanted.

Was this the far away place where the delivery man and his father’s sister lived? 

As they drove into the town, Keith took in all the sights. It was odd, seeing so many things and people packed into such a small space. He was starting to feel overwhelmed again. 

The car finally stopped near a restaurant. Falnrow stepped out of the car to open the door for Keith. He jumped out, and suddenly the urge to run came over him. He suppressed it, guessing that running away would only land him in trouble. His father always told him to stay out of trouble. 

As they walked into the restaurant, Keith glanced at Falnrow. She was holding a briefcase next to her, a couple of papers sticking out of it. 

A hostess smiled at them when the reached the counter. “Hello, would you like a table for two?” 

“I’ve reserved a table for five under the name Falnrow.”

The hostess checked her computer. “Oh yes, I see. Right this way.”

She led them to a large booth table in the back and gave them their menus before leaving.

Falnrow looked at Keith over her menu. “The family is going to be fostering you, Keith. It might not be a… permanent home. I just wanted you to know that.”

Keith frowned. “I already have a home.”

Falnrow sighed, closing her menu. “Keith, I know this is difficult for you, but your father is dead. I really think you need to accept that and-”

“He’s not dead.” Keith said firmly. 

Right before Falnrow could say anything in rebuttal, the hostess appeared again, three people trailing behind her. 

“Ms. Falnrow, the Andersons have arrived. Somebody should come by to take your order soon,” the hostess said cheerfully as she left.

Falnrow smiled widely, extending a hand to each of the Andersons. “Randy, Helen, so nice to meet you! And this must be Valerie, how old are you again?”

Valerie didn’t smile. “I’m fifteen,” she said briskly.

Falnrow nodded uneasily. “Oh yes, wonderful!”

Keith looked at the Andersons. Randy Anderson was a tall man with a thin frame. His hairline was starting to recede, a streak of white peppered his dark hair. The shadows from the restaurant lighting exaggerated his frown lines.

Helen Anderson was shorter than her husband, but not by a lot. Her brown hair fell just past her shoulders, and Keith couldn’t help but feel like her dark eyes were sizing him up.

And finally, Keith looked Valerie Anderson over. The fifteen year old girl’s eyes looked tired, but maybe that was just the affect of the black eyeliner around her eyes. Her hair was black, like her fathers, but she had a blonde ombre.

When Valerie caught Keith staring, Keith expected her to scowl, or roll her eyes. Instead, she smiled a little, and glanced over at her parents, turning to listen to what Falnrow was talking about.

“-Keith really is so glad such a lovely family is fostering him for the time being, aren’t you Keith?”

Keith hadn’t been paying attention to what Falnrow had been saying before, but he was most certainly not glad that these people were fostering him. His father was probably worried sick about him, and he really needed to be going home soon.

“They aren’t fostering me, my dad is waiting for me back at home.”

A heavy silence filled the air. Mr. Anderson cleared his throat awkwardly. Mrs. Anderson frowned, confused, and turned to Falnrow.

“I was not aware the boy was still in denial about his father’s death…” she started to say, before looking at Keith sympathetically.

Keith growled. His fingers started to itch and his head felt like it was going to explode. He had told everyone over and over again that his father was alive, and they didn’t believe him.

“MY FATHER IS NOT DEAD!” he shouted, banging his fists on the table. Everyone jumped up in shock. Falnrow did not look pleased.

“Keith, you apologize right now for scaring the Andersons. I will have no more of this nonsense. Your father is dead, and this family was kind enough to take you in on such short notice. Apologize immediately,” Falnrow spat, shoulders straightening. Her face had been tense all lunch, but now it looked like she might combust.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson looked at each other worriedly. “Oh, really, it’s fine. The boy’s been through so much,” Helen said nervously. She looked at Keith again, only this time her sympathy was replaced with fear.

Falnrow plastered a smile on. “You’re really too kind, Helen, but Keith has been like this every since the… incident. He can’t be allowed to pretend like this. It isn’t healthy.”

Keith’s anger was flaring up again. It was attacking his heart like a flame, so hot that it felt cold. But this time, he held it in. The flames crawled into his throat, but he didn’t speak a word. 

A waitress came by to take their order. Falnrow ordered for Keith. She picked chicken nuggets. 

Keith was feeling trapped. The restaurant was getting more busy. He had never been somewhere with this many people before. It had always just been him and his dad. He didn’t like this. He would give anything for his father back, to be home.

When the food came, he picked at his chicken nuggets. They weren’t hippo-shaped, like the ones his father bought him. He didn’t want them.

Falnrow and the Andersons managed to keep an easy conversation going as they signed a plethora of papers. Valerie tried to talk to Keith, but Keith had nothing to say.

Lunch came to an end. Falnrow signed the check, and took Keith to the car to get his bags.

The silence between them was deafening, but Keith didn’t care. He was still mad at Falnrow. 

What she did when she handed him his bags, however, surprised him. She smiled a real, soft smile at him. It seemed apologetic, almost.

“Keith, I want you to be happy, really I do. The Andersons, they’re good people.” Then she paused for a moment, sighing. “Don’t cause them trouble.” 

Those were Falnrow's final words to him. She led him to the Andersons’ car, and waved as he got in and drove away. 

He didn’t wave back.

 

…

 

The Andersons’ house was nice. Not big, not small, not hot, not cold. Keith didn’t like it.

The Andersons were nice. They didn’t pressure him to talk in the car ride, and they offered to take his shopping later. Keith didn’t like the Andersons either.

Randy showed him his room. “Well, here it is. I know it’s pretty empty, the last foster kid took all his posters with him. You can get some decorations when we go shopping later, if you want.”

Keith nodded, not looking away from the bare walls. Randy looked at him once, before leaving him alone.

His room back at home had drawings all over the walls, some his own and some his father’s. He missed it so much. He felt a pang of longing for the familiarity of his old life. 

He went over to the plain wall, and touched it tentatively. It was cold against his fingertips, and he closed his eyes, trying to feel the previous kid’s story. How had the former unfortunate soul wound up here?

He drew his hand back away from the wall, and pressed his back to it, before curling into a ball and letting his thoughts roll off of him.

 

…

 

Shopping was uneventful. Helen and Valerie took him, Randy stayed home to cook dinner. The mall was fairly empty, which put Keith a little more at ease. Falnrow refused to retrieve anything from his house, saying the site was “too dangerous”, so he had to buy entirely new clothes. He also got a backpack, after Helen learned Keith had only been homeschooled before. He was to enter second grade immediately.

At the end of their trip, Helen offered to get Keith one special, fun item. Keith just shook his head. Helen sighed before beckoning him to the car.

 

Dinner was chicken and rice, about as bland and unseasoned as his own father’s cooking. The Andersons talked to each other happily, and tried to include Keith, but he just remained silent. He excused himself and got ready for bed early.

He wasn’t lying when he said he’d give anything to go home. He told himself he’d be the perfect son, he’d stop dragging his dad into race, he’d make sure his father was always happy, just for the chance to go back in time.

Pulling up his covers over his head, he cried so quietly that no one woke up. Not even Valerie, whose room shared a wall with him. No one came to comfort him. 

He had never felt so alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the next chapter will have implied homophobia. I will not be using slurs or anything hateful, nothing offensive. I am incorporating things from personal experiences I have had. It is very low-key, but I just thought a warning was necessary. Thank you so much for reading! Young Lance will make his debut in the next chapter!   
> Don't worry, he is not the homophobic one.

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty, here we go! Thanks so much for reading this first chapter, I know my summaries suck. This fic is going to be long and slow burn, just warning you now. My posting schedule might be a little unreliable the next few weeks, but I will try my best to get another chapter up soon! Please leave a comment if you want, I'd love to hear what you think! Bye for now!


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